


Snapshots

by TelepathJeneral



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Other, give me all the sibling relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:13:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6054589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TelepathJeneral/pseuds/TelepathJeneral
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before a particle accelerator, an ice gun, and a scarlet speedster transform Central City, the Snart siblings could almost be considered normal.</p><p>Almost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The drumbeats thrummed in the car’s speakers as Lisa bounced in the passenger seat, a grin creeping over her adolescent face. Holding tight to the bucket of popcorn in her hands, she edged forward on the seat, turning to glance at the driver as the car hit a pothole and bounced roughly.

“Do you think they’ll still have snow cones? They’ve got the best choices up there.”

“It’s almost November, Lisa.”

“We can still check, though.”

“I suppose we can still check.” With a nod of acquiescence, Leonard pushed the car another few miles over the speed limit, feeling the rumble of acceleration merging with the underlying thrum of the music. “You have everything you need? You’re sure?”

“I told you, Lenny. I checked three times.”

“You could still miss something.”

“Not everyone’s as perfect as you.” Sitting back in the seat, Lisa stuck out her tongue, watching the scenery flash by. “Are you gonna be busy all day again? It gets boring in the hotel when you’re not around to drive.”

“There’s the arcade not that far away. I thought you liked that place.”

“The waitress always tries to ask where my mom is. I got bored of coming up with excuses.”

Leonard had to concede the point, taking his eyes off the road to study Lisa’s expression. Her smile had disappeared, and Leonard cursed himself for disappointing her. Still, in the larger scheme of things, his woes were the better alternative that those that awaited her back in Central City.

“I’m going to be pretty busy tomorrow, sure. But we can pick up dinner at the drive-in. And maybe we’ll see about tickets to one of the shows they have.” Leonard paused, concentrating. “They have shows at the arena, right?”

“Yeah. Hey, I could get brochures from the library-“ Lisa sat up again, taking a handful of popcorn. “Can I stay at the library? If you need anything there, I can grab it, or make copies, or-“

“Slow down, Lisa. I don’t need anything from the library.”

“But-“

“Listen, Lisa, I’m sorry, but-“ Leonard paused as he took his foot off the accelerator, slowing down as he approached a wide curve. “Well.”

Sensing an opening, Lisa edged closer to the middle compartment of the front seat to make her case. “Please? I promise I’ll be quiet, and I’ll even go get coffee-“

“I don’t drink coffee, Lisa. You know that.”

“Oh. Right. But I could still go get us sodas, or something.”

“We’ll head to City Hall. The civic center.”

“The plaza? Okay, got it.”

“The library’s on the west side. I’m going to be at City Hall itself, the records department. That’s on the north. You take one, I’ll take the other. When I need you to make copies, I’ll signal you, and when the librarian starts asking questions about your parents, you signal me.”

“So far, so good.” Lisa nodded, setting the popcorn in the backseat before rummaging through the middle compartment. “Will flashlights be strong enough?”

“Not flashlights this time. I’ll flick at my collar. You can…I don’t know, tuck your hair behind your ear?”

“You’re too cliché. Besides, you won’t stay by the window all the time.”

“We can check every ten minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes. I can handle anything for at least that long.”

Leonard had to smile at that, admitting to himself that Lisa was more qualified than most eleven year olds to negotiate a civic center on her own. “Fifteen minutes. And once we’re done, then we can see about those snow cones.”


	2. Chapter 2

Lisa liked the hotels. Hotels meant she wasn’t at home, and hotels meant she was with Leonard. And being with Leonard meant that he’d talk with her, and make jokes with her, and maybe even help with her homework if she asked nice enough. Sure, sometimes she got stuck at the hotels while he worked. But at least it wasn’t home.

Still, every so often, the lights outside would be too bright. Or maybe the highway noise wouldn’t be loud enough. And so she lay there, still awake, trying not to concentrate on the scratchy feeling of the unfamiliar sheets against her bare feet. She’d forgotten to get extra socks again.

“Lenny? Are you still awake?”

Movement from the other bed told her he was, but Leonard himself didn’t answer for almost a minute. “I am now.”

“Sorry.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I just.” Lisa wiggled beneath the sheets, thinking. “I can hear someone’s dog. A few doors down.”

“Dogs are allowed. I can’t change that.”

“I know. I just. I just was thinking.”

She could hear him sigh, in the darkness, but she knew he wasn’t too mad. He was always careful never to get too mad with her. “Thinking about what?”

“What if we had a dog?”

“Lisa, I can’t have a dog.”

“Not now. But before. When you still lived at home. We could have had a dog, a tiny one. Just…something.”

“It’s-Lisa, it didn’t happen then, and it won’t happen now. It’s probably for the best that way. Now, it’s been a long day, and-“

“What kind of dog would you want?” Lisa interrupted, rolling onto her side to face Leonard’s bed. In the darkness, she could see him moving, and imagined that he was facing her across the gap between their beds. Almost like a sleepover, except that he was her brother, and they weren’t exactly best friends forever, and he was probably pretty annoyed that she was still awake when she was supposed to be sleeping.

“I’m not really much into dogs. A cat would be better.”

“What about a bird, then? You could keep a little canary. It would be tiny and colorful and beautiful.” Lisa smiled to herself, picturing it.

“Canaries? Not so much. I’d prefer a raptor, something…” Leonard shifted again, making the bed squeak. “A falcon. I could get used to that. Fast, deadly-effective. That’s the word.”

“Falcons aren’t that great. Hawks are okay, I guess. But a canary would be more fun.”

“If you want fun, you can get a teacup Chihuahua. If you want an animal that can get something done, you go for a shepherd. I think I’ll stick with my falcon, though.”

“Fine. But my Maltese puppy is way more adorable.” Lisa turned away, curling into her blankets with a contented smile.

“Go to sleep, Lisa.”

“Okay, Lenny.” Unable to hide her laugh, Lisa closed her eyes, feeling a great deal more comfortable after the conversation with Leonard. Granted, he might not be the most comforting person to be around on a daily basis. But when it came to making a place feel safer, Leonard was the only person Lisa would ever want to help her settle in.


	3. Chapter 3

Another year, another car; Lisa had found that Leonard had started stealing more vans, rather than the flashy Mustangs, and it left her with a great deal more room to spread out in the backseat while concentrating on homework. Leonard’s habit of picking her up after school meant that she had gotten rather adept at negotiating algebra in the car, and Leonard knew better than to interrupt. If Lisa took the initiative in a conversation, however, Leonard could hardly resist being drawn in.

She’d gotten through more than half the homework by the time Leonard pulled up to the motel, gravel crunching in the driveway as they settled to a stop. With a well-practiced pout, Lisa forced herself to get up, gathering together her things before pulling the bag straps over her shoulders. The sunlight made her blink in discomfort as she got out, but the sight of another person watching her and her brother made her pause.

“Lenny?”

“No need to be worried. It’s Mick. You remember Mick?”

“I remember him. Doesn’t mean I like him.” Lisa shifted her weight to one foot, compensating for the backpack on her shoulder. “Mick.”

“Lisa. You’ve gotten, uh. Taller.”

“That’s what happens when kids get older. She’s thirteen now.” Leonard deadpanned, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. “Is it going to be a problem, Mick?”

“No, not really, I just-there’s only two beds in the room.”

Lisa visibly cringed, trying to ignore the color in her cheeks. Fortunately, Leonard came to her defense, moving between her and Mick to defuse the situation.

“Looks like you’ll be keeping watch in the car, then.”

“Snart, I didn’t sign on to spend the night in my crappy Buick!”

“You can put down the seat in the van. It’ll be comfortable.”

“Snart-“

“You don’t like it, you can stay out of the job.”

Mick rolled his eyes, straightening. Despite her reservations, Lisa moved forward to come beside Leonard, readjusting her hold on her backpack.

“I can get sheets and…stuff from Walmart. I need to get some…stuff there anyway. Probably need to find something besides TV dinners to eat over the weekend.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Listen, I’ll get you a pillow. Pillows. Whatever you need.”

Both of the men paused, studying Lisa with a touch of confusion, but Mick finally grinned as he nodded his acceptance. “Yeah, well. I suppose a van’s not too bad.”

“Thanks.” Taking the room key from Mick’s outstretched hand, Lisa barged into the tiny room, leaving Leonard to deal with whatever plans he’d cooked up with the other felon. She’d seen Mick around, sure. He still lived on their street, technically speaking. But she hadn’t spoken with him since the time she’d crashed her bike in his front yard.

Depositing her things in the room, Lisa came back to the door to try and catch Leonard’s attention. The two men had drawn closer, Leonard explaining something in great detail with minimal gestures. Although reluctant to interrupt, Lisa cleared her throat, knocking on the door.

“Lenny. I need money.”

With a silent nod, Leonard searched in his pants pocket before finding a roll of cash. Lisa accepted the bundle, exchanging it for the room key in her hand before setting off down the sidewalk. The sound of footsteps behind her made her pause, turning slightly, and she tensed as Mick caught up with her.

“Here, here’s some extra-“ Mick hurriedly handed her another few bills, letting her add them to the bundle already in her hand. “And. Uh. I want a lot of pillows.”

“Vans are kind of crappy, I know. I’m, uh, sorry I kinda kicked you out of the room.”

“No, I should’ve realized. Snart-Leonard-he always brings you along on weekends, right? It’s not a big deal.”

“Yeah. Well.” Lisa shrugged, backing away. “Thanks.”

“Sure.” Mick raised a hand to wave as Lisa set off again, leaving Lisa alone to listen to the sound of her sneakers against the sidewalk. Sure, Mick might be involved with some ‘less than legal’ activities, but so was Leonard. And if Leonard could put up with the man, Lisa supposed she could do the same.

Just as long as Mick didn’t get in the way of her algebra homework.


	4. Chapter 4

The drive up from Central City had been strenuous enough, sure. Leonard knew the whole point of the drive was to make it easier to spread around the cash they got, make sure his tracks couldn’t be followed too closely from one city to another. Ditching town made sure he could accomplish that chore, as well as letting Lisa have a well-deserved break from schoolwork and the city itself. Even if Leonard didn’t exactly live at home anymore, one could never be too careful about choosing a hunting ground.

Leonard did his best to keep up on Lisa’s comings and goings, and she was usually more than happy to share her stories with him, but this week, she’d clammed up. Leonard had picked her up from school, as usual, and taken off to a little gas station out of town, but even his offer of gas station candy hadn’t roused Lisa from her mood. Leaving her to her own devices, Leonard drove into the night, glancing into the backseat on occasion to find Lisa asleep, tossing and turning on the lumpy van seats.

As dinner time came around, Leonard did his best to try to encourage Lisa to action. His first stop only provoked a chorus of grumbling complaints from the backseat, and Lisa half-heartedly picked at the food he’d picked up while they got back on the road again. Although Leonard truly did his best to concentrate on the road, the glances he spared for Lisa told him she was shivering-despite having the heat on in the car. Still, he decided it better for Lisa to rest, and so he stayed quiet until they reached a stopping point for the night.

The tiny motel was quiet when he pulled in, several of the lights already having burned out to leave the parking lot in eerie darkness. Leonard got out of the car as usual, expecting Lisa to follow, but hesitated as she made no move to get out of the vehicle. He moved to her side of the car, pulling open the door, and did his best not to wince as she glared at him.

“We have to go inside.”

“I can stay out here. Really.”

“Lisa. Come on. I know it’s been a long day, but I promise we can sleep in all day tomorrow.”

Lisa only groaned, closing her eyes again. Leonard moved to nudge her shoulder, then paused as he moved to place a hand against her forehead. The temperature shocked him, and he resisted the urge to curse as he cradled her face in both hands.

“Lisa. You okay?”

“Len, I just wanna sleep, okay? I’ll just stay here.”

“Sure, that sounds great, and all, but-no. We’re going inside.” Above her protests, Leonard reached in to help Lisa out of the backseat, leaving her luggage behind. “Can you walk?”

“Yes, I’m not-“ Lisa shook her head, prompting another pained groan, and Leonard did his best to offer assistance as the two staggered toward their motel room. With the door opened and light turned on, Lisa gratefully tumbled into the nearest bed, while Leonard moved to feel her forehead again.

“You’re burning up.”

“I’ll be fine. Just tired.”

“Have you been feeling all right?”

“Just a stomach bug. Probably got it at school.”

“Lisa-“ Leonard inhaled sharply, cutting off his own reprimands. “Why didn’t you tell me? Call me, something-you know I’m always around.”

“I didn’t want to bug you. I know you’re busy.”

“Not that busy.” Leonard moved to crouch beside the bed, thinking. “Does your throat hurt? Headache? What’s going on?”

“Just. You know. Nausea. And stuff.”

“Lisa, you have to tell me these things.”

“I didn’t want to-“ Lisa sighed harshly, curling up against the motel sheets. “Lenny, you wouldn’t want to take me with if I was sick, right? And there’s no way in hell I’m staying home like this.”

“I’d still take you with. Does your head hurt?”

“Yeah.” Lisa nodded, meeting Leonard’s eyes before attempting a smile. “Thanks.”

“You get some sleep, okay? We’re okay now.”

“Yeah, we are. We are pretty okay.” Lisa’s smile grew more sincere as she closed her eyes, and Leonard let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. As Lisa relaxed, Leonard stood again, trying not to let his worry consume him. Lisa would be fine. She was here, with him, and he could help her. She was out of Central City, and he had enough money to take care of them for the weekend. Probably longer. If he could get in touch with Mick, he’d have enough to-

No. He was getting ahead of himself. He’d concentrate on one thing at a time; for now, he’d make sure Lisa was comfortable, then go from there.

-

The sun hurt Lisa’s eyes as she awoke; blinking, she cursed under her breath, stumbling to her feet before feeling the first wave of nausea come over her. Fortunately she’d learned enough about motel layouts to make it to the tiny bathroom. Settling onto the tile, Lisa rubbed at her face with both hands, taking deep breaths to try and settle her mind and her stomach.

The sound of an opening door made her tense, and she remembered only a moment later that she was here with Leonard, not Lewis. The door closed again with a shuddering slam, echoed shortly after by Leonard’s voice.

“Lisa?”

“’M here.” Lisa moved to rest her back against the wall, feeling the nausea subside. Turning slightly, she looked up to where Leonard stood in the doorway of the small bathroom, plastic bags dangling from his hands. “Mornin’.”

“Are you feeling any better?”

“I feel like shit.” Lisa kicked out one leg, tapping the opposite wall with her foot. “It sucks.”

“I’m gathering that.” Leonard moved to sit cross-legged in the doorway, unpacking items from his bags across the floor. Lisa watched with mild interest as he laid out bottles of ginger ale and Gatorade, along with a large bowl.

“What’s that for?”

“You. Obviously.” Leonard fixed her with one of his intense glares, making her roll her eyes as she reached for a Gatorade. Lisa had to admit the gesture was sweet-it just wasn’t something she was used to in her life. Too many memories of suffering through colds without medication left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she tensed involuntarily.

Leonard obviously misinterpreted her reaction, and moved to stand again. “Sorry. I’ll leave you alone.”

“No. I mean-don’t go. What else did you get?”

“Only a little thing.” Lisa was happy to see Leonard smiling as he found the last item, pulling it out to reveal a boxed set of three DVDs, the familiar faces of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa beaming up from the cover.

“That’s for me?”

“Well, for both of us. I’d promised you could sleep in today. And I don’t really feel like going anywhere. You have any better ideas for wasting a few hours?”

“No, not really.” Lisa shrugged, taking a sip of the Gatorade. “Did you get any…y’know, fever stuff?”

“Right, right-“ Leonard nodded, sliding the last bag across the tile to let Lisa rummage through the pill bottles inside. Finally, with the bags exhausted, Lisa managed a smile as she looked back to her brother.

“I really do feel like shit.”

“I believe you.”

“I’m sorry in advance if I puke on you.”

“We’ll do our best to avoid that.” On cue, Leonard pushed the bowl towards her, standing at last to reclaim his DVDs. “Take some medicine. I’ll get these started.”

Lisa only answered with a smile, watching him go as she did her best to relax. The idea of movement was terrible, but she could crash back on the bed as soon as she made the move. And Leonard would be there. Everything would be okay.

She might even get a chance to finish up the homework she’d been putting off.


	5. Chapter 5

December had well and truly set in, leaving Mick to shiver in his too-thin sweater. Beside him, Leonard scanned the playbills and brochures arranged in the lobby, apparently unconcerned by the freezing temperatures or the lack of adequate heating in the rink’s lobby area.

“How long do we have to wait?”

“Until she’s done. They don’t have rinks this big in Central City.”

“Weird, huh? Bridgestone’s not as big a city.”

“But they love their hockey.” Leonard turned, motioning with his head for Mick to follow. “Besides, Lisa’s gotten pretty good at this whole situation. You know she’s starting track. It’s a good opportunity, especially since she’s only fourteen.”

Mick began to laugh, attempting to conceal the sound with a cough. Leonard graciously ignored the reaction, moving through a small door into a hallway before exiting out into the stadium seating. Several feet below, the ice rink was dotted with several skaters already gathering speed; Leonard moved to find a seat in the fold-down chairs, leaving Mick to settle in beside him.

“Central City has its rinks, but they don’t open them to the public. Lisa started coming here while we ran jobs downtown. I think most of the staff know her by name, now.”

“Yeah? So which one’s her?” Mick sat forward, trying to pick out Lisa Snart from the multitude of splotches on the ice.

“There.” Leonard nodded as one dot broke away from the groups, darting through the center of the rink before leaping into a series of spins and twirls. Even at this distance, Lisa’s excitement was visible, and Mick had to grin as he watched the display.

“Not bad, I guess.” Mick shrugged, glancing at Leonard. Despite his cool expression, Leonard was concentrating intently on the image of his sister, watching her trace curlicues and swirls along the ice. Despite his limited interactions with Lisa over the past year, Mick could appreciate Leonard’s devotion to the girl, and sat back in his seat to think.

“So? Is she done yet?”

“Lisa decides when she’s done.”

“They don’t even have a concessions stand here.”

“You’ll live. Settle down and shut up.”

“Fine.” Kicking up his legs onto the back of the seat, Mick settled in to try and relax. If Lisa was anything like her brother, she wouldn’t be leaving until she’d finished what she’d come to do. Maybe, someday, she’d be able to match up her determination with her brother’s; it could come in handy, in their line of work.

Mick made a mental note to stay on the good side of either Snart, no matter what their age.


	6. Chapter 6

Lisa hadn’t seen much of Leonard since school had started. He’d taken a new job, another state over, and he mainly called now. Sure, she could handle herself well enough, but she still didn’t have a car. And she didn’t have the expertise to try and pull off a job without Leonard’s help.

This time, when the car pulled up in front of the school, it took her a bit longer to recognize her brother. He’d let his hair grow longer, making him look even more unkempt than usual. The car, too, was a battered Camry; on the high school lot, it looked like the oldest car in the place, and Lisa winced as wandering tennis players stared at the car with obvious amusement. Leonard stopped by the sidewalk, leaving Lisa to wander up and stuff herself into the passenger seat along with her backpack.

“You got everything you need?”

“You didn’t give me much time to prepare.” Lisa complained, rummaging through her backpack pockets. “Not that there’s much at the house anyway.”

“So, sophomore year? Is there a bunch of homework for the long break, or…”

“Not that much more. Besides, it’s not as if the teachers are expecting me to write the next great American novel.” Lisa exhaled sharply, settling into the seat as Leonard pushed the car up to highway speeds.

“You could, though.”

“No. I can’t.”

“You don’t have to limit yourself, Lisa. I know it’s probably not the easiest set up, shuttling back and forth like this, but you’re more than a pretty face.”

“You’re too sweet, Leonard.” Rolling her eyes, Lisa slumped further in the seat. “You didn’t care about high school. Why should I?”

“I cared.”

“Leonard, you haven’t cared about anything besides work in…I don’t know how long. You don’t have a diploma. I don’t even know how long you went to school.”

“Just because you haven’t seen a diploma doesn’t mean I don’t have one.”

“Right. Because you were so proud to walk up on that stage in your cap and gown.”

“I never said it was _my_ diploma.” Lisa turned to find a small smirk on Leonard’s face, making her smile in return.

“You never change.” Lisa shook her head, pulling a CD player out of her backpack before unstringing the headphones and placing them over her ears. Lost to the world, she closed her eyes to let Leonard drive, ignoring the scenery and sign markers as Leonard navigated.

This time, instead of finding a hotel, Leonard pulled into a tiny suburb, complete with lawn gnomes and flamingoes. In the fading December light, Lisa scowled as she pulled off her headphones, sitting up to study the neighborhood.

“You _live_ out here?”

“It’s not that different than the trailer parks in Central City. Where did you think I was?”

“You know, the usual kinds of places. An apartment. The hotels. Anything other than this.”

“It’s not that bad, Lisa.” Leonard pulled into a small driveway, his Camry dwarfed by the van in the other half of the driveway. Lisa got out, trailing behind Leonard as he locked the car and unlocked the front door of the tiny bungalow before them. With the lights off, the place appeared deserted, but Lisa wrinkled her nose as movement in the kitchen alerted her to someone’s presence.

“Finally. You’re back.”

“Mick. I brought-“

“He can see me, Lenny. It’s not a surprise.” More to irritate her new companions than anything else, Lisa tossed her backpack onto a leather recliner, folding her arms. “Why don’t you ever tell us that we’re going to have to put up with each other? It’s not like you can avoid it. You’re stuck with me. You’re stuck with him. Just get it over with.”

“He’s not ‘stuck’ with anybody, kid. We’re a team.”

“Listen, kids, you’re both pretty.” Leonard held up both hands, shaking his head. “Lisa, you don’t have to deal with him. But he lives here too. So you’ll have to accept his…existence, for the time being.”

“I’ll live. But nothing says I have to like it.” Lisa shrugged, grabbing up her backpack again. “Do I have a room?”

“Up the hall, take a left. Go through the first room into the cubby.”

“Great. I get a fucking cubby.” Lisa shook her head, disappearing down the hall, and Mick eyed Leonard with a glance more question than reprimand.

“It won’t be a big deal. I promise.”

“She’s gotten…angrier.”

“Apparently that’s what happens in high school. I’d say I sympathize with her, but…” Leonard shrugged, moving to collapse on the sofa.

“You didn’t exactly hang around in high school long enough to develop those kinds of issues.”

“Still. Don’t give her too much grief.”

“I’ll do my best. As long as she doesn’t get in our way.”

-

A few days had passed, allowing Lisa to settle into the jagged routines of Leonard and Mick, and Lisa herself had held back from getting too overly aggressive with Mick. Despite her complaints to Leonard about Mick’s stature, car, language, and general hygiene, she at least tolerated being in the same room with him for more than a few minutes at a time. As Leonard took charge of dinner preparations, Mick lounged on the single couch, reviewing a set of plans arranged on his knees. Armed with a pan of fried meat and a spatula, Leonard sauntered out to the living room to start spooning the meat onto plates already set out on the coffee table. However, after finishing the task, Leonard glanced at Mick, furrowing his brow.

“Mick. Not here.”

“Here’s where we’ve been keepin’ them for the last few months. What’s different?”

“No need to flaunt the necessities in front of…” Leonard trailed off, turning to return the pan to the kitchen. For her part, Lisa simply snorted, shaking her head as she looked to Leonard.

“I know you rob banks.”

“Well, yes.”

“It’s not some big secret, Lenny. Dad did it. You do it. I’m not an idiot, I figured out how you pay for motels and new cars all the time.”

“I am _not_ like-“

“Whatever. Mick can review the stupid plans. It won’t matter to me anyway, right? So why would it matter what he does?” Lisa settled back against the wall, grabbing a plate before pointedly ignoring Leonard. Irritated, Leonard moved to grab the plans away from Mick, looking over them himself while Mick dug into the food.

“So you’ve memorized your exits.”

“Yep.” Mick replied, settling into monosyllables as he ate. Deftly juggling his food and the plans themselves, Leonard moved to the higher dining table, turning on the light to study them in greater detail.

From her position along the wall, Lisa watched with interest as Leonard drew Mick into the planning, speaking in hushed tones as he outlined the general idea of his setup. Despite their distance, and despite the rather obvious fact that Leonard was trying to keep her out of it, Lisa managed to pay close attention to their conversation all the same, finishing her meal quickly in order to concentrate.

As the talk turned to the specifics of a getaway vehicle, it seemed Leonard had hit a snag: Mick couldn’t power through guards and be a distraction if he was the one driving, and Leonard could hardly be the one to carry the goods if _he_ was the one driving. Slowly, a plan began to form in Lisa’s mind, and she smiled to herself as she moved to settle herself into the recliner.

“Listen, we’ll make it work-“

“No, we’ll make it work now, not half-ass it sometime down the line.”

“I can drive, you know.” Lisa chimed in from her new vantage point, unable to stop herself from grinning proudly. Both Leonard and Mick eyed her with a fair amount of disbelief, looking to each other to confirm their suspicions. “Just because I have fake IDs doesn’t mean I didn’t spend the time to get a real one. I passed the test.”

“Who taught you?” Leonard straightened, his disbelief shifting into curiosity-and disapproval.

“Cassandra. You wouldn’t know her.” Lisa shrugged dismissively. “She had a car. She let me learn.”

“You need someone’s signature to get your hours. Who did you-“

“You think I couldn’t forge a signature? I picked up Dad’s signature from the first field trip I took in sixth grade. It was always such a pain in the ass finding you to sign something for me. So I signed it.” Lisa met Leonard’s glare, countering his irritation with sunny cheer. “The paperwork might not be legit. But I have a license. And I can drive.”

“It wouldn’t be such a bad idea, Snart.” Mick added helpfully, mirroring Lisa’s shrug. Leonard turned his glare to the other man, still processing the information, but straightened as he saw his defenses crumbling.

“We’ll do some practicing.”

“No problem.”

“And you can’t complain about driving Mick.”

“Mick is the light of my life, brother dearest. I would never complain.” Lisa beamed from her seat, earning a poorly-concealed chuckle from Mick.

“And you can’t panic when there’s police chasing us-“

“I know how a robbery works, Lenny.”

“Fine. We’ll try it.” Leonard turned back to his plans, evidently cutting Lisa out of the conversation, but he couldn’t dim the glow of Lisa’s excitement. In stark contrast to her boredom over the past few days, Lisa realized her winter break was about to get incredibly exciting, to say the least.


	7. Chapter 7

The malls in Central City were always so exciting, at least compared to the tiny strip malls in the suburbs. Lisa had to admit, after being dragged here the first few times, Sterling Center was actually pretty enthralling. She knew Leonard would never appreciate the glitz and the glamour. That wasn’t his ‘thing’.

Honestly, why Leonard even bothered robbing banks made no sense to her, when he never seemed to use any of the money.

This time, though, Lisa had come alone. No Cassandra, no Lindsay, and no Leonard. Not even Mick. She sat on her own in the center of the moving mass of people, a small milkshake in one hand as she scanned the décor. Sure, Sterling Center was a beautiful mess, but it was an _expensive_ beautiful mess, and it took quite a bit of money to keep it up. She’d noted the security guards, in their nice black uniforms. She’d even picked out the loss prevention agents, some of the less conspicuous ones in outfits very similar to her own.

If everything went according to plan, though, they wouldn’t have to worry about loss prevention. And even though the guards seemed professional enough, she was certain Mick could deal with them. Leonard would get them out of the way, somehow, and if she came along-

What was this, thinking about ‘if’? Of course she’d be coming along! That’s why she was scouting out the place, doing her research, so Lenny could get the information together and make a plan. And Leonard and Mick would get any guards out of the way. And then they’d hit the money, and she and Leonard could get something nice.

Lisa shook her head, making a disgusted grimace as she stood to throw away her shake cup. Settling into a brisk walk, she wove through the crowds of weekend shoppers, maintaining an easy smile as she scanned the walls for access panels, ventilation shafts, and janitor closets. She’d been through the mall almost four times now, and she could confirm Leonard’s suspicions. It seemed the southern wall was the best option, in terms of accessibility. And they’d have better chances of picking up extras if they came in from that side.

On the topic of said ‘extras’, Lisa slowed as she passed the shimmering glass windows of another store, the flowing skirts and voluminous gowns catching her eye. Despite her directions to keep making notes on the details of the southern lineup, Lisa stopped to study the dresses through the window, marveling at the soft, cloudy fabrics in varying shades of white. Against the elegant silver of the mannequins, each dress seemed framed especially in its own little world, almost especially for her. Lisa’s smile grew more genuine, and she edged out of the crowd to study the dresses more closely.

They really were something. She’d never been to a wedding before, but she had to imagine it was a nice enough affair if you had the right place. And with a dress like those, anyone would look incredible. And someone would pick out the perfect flowers, to complement the scenery, and there would be ribbons wherever possible. And of _course_ one couldn’t forget the veil-

Jostled by someone in the crowd, Lisa shook herself back to attention, cursing her distraction. Leonard would be irritated, if he knew she was daydreaming about _weddings_ while she was supposed to be doing reconnaissance. And he’d never approve of something so frivolous, not with their lifestyle-besides, who would she invite, besides Leonard himself? The idea of a wedding was a delirious pipe dream, and the sooner she forgot about it, the better.

Turning on one heel, Lisa started down the path she’d mapped out on her first pass through the mall. She’d have to stay away from the wedding store, especially if Leonard let her come along on the actual job. She could always pick up a dress on her own, but Leonard would never let her take it with. And he wouldn’t understand. Leonard would never be so sentimental.

Still, in the back of her mind, Lisa wondered if eventually, someday, Leonard might be reconciled enough to the idea to give her away.


End file.
